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Do we cope ok without Burns?
at 11:22 17 Mar 2024

Serious question as I'm not sure the second half from yesterday is particular evidence either way. I guess we have to be ready for a Hirst-style lay-off, with a better scenario that he's back for any play-off ties. Just feels to me that the direct threat in behind down that side is so important to us and so is his telepathy with Chaplin in particular – when he's been out of the side things generally haven't been quite the same. We're lucky to have a player in Jackson who can do considerable elements of that and ensure we retain the threat but there's still a drop-off. Clearly it's going to hamper us, the timing is awful and I wonder how KM tweaks it.

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The thing that struck me most last night ...
at 09:24 6 Mar 2024

... was how relatively calm I felt, and everyone around me in NS seemed to feel, when the penalty was saved. Could have been a huge sliding doors moment in our season but it just seemed clear to everyone that we'd go again and get at least one more huge chance to win. I see McKenna has said something similar and he's right. Incredible response from the team to it, most of all – the mentality of these guys is something very, very special.

What else to say? Perhaps the craziest and most dramatic, enthralling conclusion to a match in a rapidly increasing list. Bristol City did a very good job on us but we have the ability to absolutely transform a game in its final quarter and, as long as we keep most of our weapons fit, it will continue to serve us brilliantly.
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Needs one of the big PR midweek atmospheres tonight doesn't it?
at 09:19 5 Mar 2024

Can't have any stony-faced sitting on hands waiting for us to win this one – the opposition are too good and the stakes way too high. Going into the final 10 games with our noses still in front, and the chance to achieve something truly generational, would be absolutely huge. It'll be a tough one tonight: Bristol City's games are almost always tight and decided by a one-goal margin; they know how to trouble good teams and I think their manager will fancy a crack at this fixture too. Was very impressed with them away at West Ham a few weeks back. It'd be nice to have one of Burns and Broadhead on the bench to mix things up a bit if we need because I don't think we're about to have anything handed to us. Time to crank up the volume and roar us towards something special – we'll regret it if we don't.
[Post edited 5 Mar 9:19]
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El Mizouni
at 10:28 28 Feb 2024

Went to watch Orient vs Blackpool last night, not specifically to see El Mizouni but that was a welcome bonus. Was a tight, scrappy game between play-off contenders and not one where anything fancy happened in possession but thought El Miz had the midfield completely locked down, carries himself like a veteran and was first to pretty much anything that threatened to come through there for Blackpool. It was his challenge in the middle that meant Orient could break for their winner. If we go up I'm sure we move him on but will be very interested to see what we decide to do if we don't, particularly as the midfield revamp is probably the most important aspect of squad development ahead of us.
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Can't ask for anything more than we're getting at the moment, can we?
at 09:56 18 Feb 2024

Every time we slip up a little bit it's worth remembering that, in almost any other season, we would be bang on course to go up automatically by a fair margin. What a great win that was yesterday, I was worried about the quick turnaround post-Millwall but we managed most elements of that match brilliantly. Very encouraging that a number of our attacking players are hitting some real form – been a great week in particular for Hutchinson and Broadhead. I only have one real worry at the moment and that's the injury tightrope we are treading at full-back.

Big couple of home games ahead, neither will be easy and they'll bring moments of frustration I'm certain, but it's a massive opportunity to bring up another six points and make sure we're bang in the conversation for the run-in. Saints might not have it easy against a mercurial Hull on Tuesday; we could probably do with Leicester getting a result at Leeds on Friday but, if not, let's see how they can cope with being reeled in slightly. Let's hope we have, like last year, hit our groove at exactly the right time.
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Hutchinson
at 09:44 15 Feb 2024

Looks like he is going to be a massive weapon for us in the run-in – feels to me that we've managed his minutes over the season so far and that we'll be unleashing him a lot more from here. Fairly sure we will keep rotating across the supporting three but he is right in the conversation for a regular start now: almost unplayable at his best and clearly progressing in leaps and bounds.
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That's a useful little wobble from Saints
at 22:17 13 Feb 2024

Just a little reminder that they're fallible and also that they've had it very soft in the last couple of months. It gets a lot harder for them from here – starting on Friday at West Brom. Time for us to string a run together now: there were, and are, always going to be twists.
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Really good window on paper
at 22:39 1 Feb 2024

Couldn't have asked for a lot more in the circumstances. Travis and Sarmiento we've covered. Then a really top, seasoned Championship striker on loan + an investment in the hot property from League Two (who many others, including one really good European club btw, were very keen on) is a good combination up front and doesn't overcommit us beyond this season. As long as Williams can be brought up to speed again we look very strong in every area, good mix of youth and experience, nice physicality. Obviously neither Moore nor Al-Hamadi can exactly replicate Hirst but you'd back McKenna to make the right tweaks. Moore won't quite harry like Hirst but he's more mobile than people think and if we can get a good hour's running out of him most weeks I think we'll be onto something decent. For whatever he lacks, he'll add an aggression and presence above what Hirst offers. Will this be enough to fend off two of the other three? No idea but, as we currently look, I think we've given ourselves a really good chance whether it's via top two or top six.
[Post edited 1 Feb 22:41]
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Getting closer to the window we needed
at 12:02 29 Jan 2024

A good thing with Al-Hamadi is that it safeguards us a little for next season, which is probably when we'll start to see the best of him – really young, one of the best emerging talents in the Football League, clearly a sky-high ceiling if it all comes together.

And you never know, sometimes things just click and the adaptation is instant. I think that's a little bit difficult in our system, especially for a striker, and things tend to take time – but it's happened before & will happen again. Intriguing to see what impact he makes in the next few months.

Al-Hamadi + More Experienced Head + Jackson would seem a good combination for the rest of the season, with Hirst perhaps back for the play-offs if that's the way things go. Without the middle of those, we'll be forced into a gamble.

After that, it's just that intensely annoying and slightly worrying full-back area where we've essentially lost two players unless Williams can make it back ...

[Post edited 29 Jan 12:03]
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Hell of an achievement to still be second …
at 22:48 22 Jan 2024

… after what the last six weeks has thrown at us in terms of fixtures, injuries and suspensions. We’ll be just fine. You’d even back this lot to find a way against Leeds in the play-off final if it came to that. Massive set of hurdles cleared successfully, in my book - now let’s strengthen where we need to in the next nine days or so, and strap in …
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Defining proof of this group's excellence
at 11:07 14 Jan 2024

Doesn't Portman Road feel really special on evenings like that? Still absolutely buzzing. At 0-1 it could have gone very differently – there's been a little scepticism in the air recently, for different reasons, and I get it even if I don't really agree. For this team to come back in the way it did should be defining proof for everybody that we have such a special group of players and staff here. They found a way to keep us more than competitive and will continue to do so. We are in for an unforgettable few months, whatever the ultimate outcome, and these guys need unconditional backing during it. They have more than earned that.

Thought the subs, and the timing of them, tipped the balance for us – Sarmiento and Hutchinson were high energy straightaway and the whole place responded. We're lucky to have them both, they have huge roles to play. Never really looked like relinquishing the lead: Sunderland were, all night really, nice but fairly lightweight and struggled to create.

Davis was clearly around 80% but what a showing that was from him. Fantastic in the second half, another who really helped us raise the raise the tempo. LIkewise Harry Clarke, who started iffily but got better and better – can't be easy going from week to week with his injury but he is visibly improving as a player and maybe we forget how young he still is. Thrilled too for Jackson, who deserved that and hopefully quietened a few people down. Travis is clearly going to be an excellent option, we have done well in the market so far this month.

Bit surprised to see some negativity around Taylor – radar was sometimes off but in the second half, especially, he took the ball in tricky positions and drove forward in the way we need him to. You can see he has been working on how to use his body in tight situations, as Morsy does so well. I thought it was fine from him and, as with any player, if I can see obvious signs of development I'm happy.

We really needed that, got it done and I expect us to go from strength to strength now. Hopefully Gallagher gets through the door quickly and, whatever happens at Leicester, we can really attack a great looking run of games in February and March.


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A blip in which we’re not really losing games ….
at 17:16 1 Jan 2024

… is no disaster at all. If someone told me this would constitute our worst run after 26 games I’d have bitten your hand off. Yes you can spin things any which way, but the last few matches have at least shown that even when we’re bedraggled & off it we are still very tough to beat. It’s a great trait to have and yet another positive element we’ve transferred from L1. Very big month ahead reinforcements-wise but, as far as the league table is concerned, it strikes me that we’ve come through a really punishing spell in an outstanding position.
[Post edited 1 Jan 17:18]
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January / this team is different
at 11:27 27 Dec 2023

Firstly, is there anyone left who seriously doubts this team's sheer resilience, attitude and aptitude? Last night had all the ingredients of a game where we'd be picked off by two or three on the counter: lose a crucial attacking outlet early on, concede quickly while adjusting to that, enjoy a bright spell either side of half-time without looking ultra-threatening. Almost every other ITFC side I can think of is disposed of on the break from there against opponents of that quality but we dug in, kept doing what we know we're good at, dealt better with their threats and massively merited what we got. This team is different and deserves all the credit in the world.

Presumably we'd all have taken 14 points from that exceedingly sticky post-West Brom spell. It's a good-looking next five games ahead, Leicester (a) aside: you'd be looking to win those home matches and take a point in what now looks a tricky game at Schumacher's Stoke, which would keep us bang on track.

It's also an uncertain time, though, even if the hurdles seem lower to the naked eye. To me there always seemed a chance Hirst would pull up if we couldn't get the right support to him in time, and so it has proved. We are masters at adapting so I fully back McKenna to sort something out for the next couple of games, but realistically have to assume it's at least month out of the starting lineup for him. I expect we are some way down the line for a new striker in any case but it seems important to me that we're reinforced by the time Sunderland visit.

I also have a nagging worry that we haven't heard the last of Morsy and AFCON – let's hope I'm wrong about this, in a week's time we will know. It'd take a fair bit of heavy lifting to power us through a few weeks without him, Hirst and Burgess – that's our physical spine. If we come out of January still in second place, by whatever margin, I'll be impressed and happy.

Think the speed with which we can get deals done in January may be key for the next few months. After Stoke there's a very nice 12-day period before the next league game and if we had a couple ready to come in and make use of that training time it could make a massive difference in helping us towards the line.
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Anyone know a good place in Jeddah to watch Sky games?
at 16:07 13 Dec 2023

Yes, some of us have drawn a very short straw for Saturday ...
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Best result of the season
at 22:56 12 Dec 2023

That's my favourite one so far. I'm relentlessly cautious as we've been burned too many times and it would be so, so, so special to get back up there again after 22 years – but it's now more than clear that we are for real and have a serious chance.
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Only been able to see highlights but ... errr .... our second goal
at 00:15 30 Nov 2023

That move is *insanely* good – just top, top quality, it leaves some good defenders looking absolutely ridiculous and chasing shadows. Just so, so good even considering the level we are at. Was it appreciated in the stadium for what it was? We really are being spoiled!
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First time we’ve really been given a lesson under McKenna
at 19:42 25 Nov 2023

I mean, it was always going to happen wasn’t it - it’s taken 17 games after promotion and I’m sure we will use it well. West Brom had the combination of better players and excellent coaching that will always prove difficult. McKenna will know the things we need to add, particularly in terms of speed and physicality, and it’ll take several transfer windows. For now we have one of the toughest away games done, with little harm to our buffer in the league, and two good home fixtures coming up. Nothing to be too anguished about and no fingers to be pointed.
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Next five games, what are we thinking?
at 14:05 12 Nov 2023

WBA (a), Millwall (h), Coventry (h), Boro (a), Watford (h)

Next block of five takes us up to the Norwich/Leeds/Leicester showdowns so it's an appropriate chunk to assess.

Another run of three away, two at home and I'll be particularly interested to see how our away form holds up. It's been incredible but half our away games have been against the current bottom four. Visiting a competent and solid WBA who look like play-off contenders will test our mettle; Boro are clearly much better than their position and can unseat anyone, perhaps the Carrick-McKenna factor is a bit of a leveller there tho; Watford are currently in form and look like one of the teams lower down who can come through and challenge the top six.

You'd want us to win those two home games but, as we've seen, there'll doubtless be iffy moments and Coventry in particular have real firepower if things click for them on the day.

I think maybe something like this, tho we might drop another point in one of the aways:

WBA – draw
Millwall – win
Coventry – win
Boro – lose
Watford – draw

Eight points, which would make 47 from 21 games. I'd take that.
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Let’s not have any catastrophising
at 22:10 7 Nov 2023

I’m hearing again that we have been in poor form since the international break. If eight points from four tight games, three of those away, is poor form then I need a dictionary. Not the best tonight but not the worst - there is a clear drop off in incisiveness when we lose two or three key players but that is where our squad is currently, so let’s be kind and celebrate the fact we’ve lost once in the opening third of the season and have a fantastic chance.
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Need to avoid Lincoln (h) vibes today
at 10:19 7 Oct 2023

Almost exactly a year on and feels similar – that day you couldn't find a single person around town who didn't think we'd win by two or three, we were flying, came up against a very well drilled side and actually played quite well but were smash & grabbed. There's a real risk of the same thing happening today, in my opinion. We've grown a lot as a team since then though so hopefully we can solve the problem; think it'll be a tight and tetchy one and I'll be very encouraged if we navigate it smoothly.
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